


Frozen Brain

by mydearwhim



Category: One Piece
Genre: Action/Adventure, After Thriller Bark, Before Strong World, Gen, Original Akuma no Mi | Devil Fruit, Original Island, Spoilers, be aware
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26205031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mydearwhim/pseuds/mydearwhim
Summary: The Straw Hats are navigating peacefully through the ocean when a giant monster attacks them, splitting the crew into an unknown ice island filled with the weirdest creatures. After nearly a month without much contact with each other, some of them begin to suspect why the others hasn't reached out yet. Among screaming ladies, deadly diseases and a mystery involving the city's doctor and some farmer, Luffy's crew will have to prove that they're actually worth it of their captain.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	1. Part 1 - Zoro

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first ever fic in this site and HA, i'm nervous as hell. I started to write this after watching Strong World and I'm relatively new in the One Piece fandom, even though I've already read the whole thing (we are the champions by queen played very loudly in my head when i got to the currently released chapters).  
> Also english is not my first language, so excuse any grammar mistakes. You can kindly point out them in the comments and I will do my best to improve myself.  
> If you got here, taking interest in this, I'm already so greatful. ♥

His legs were sore from the walk up the mountain, cover in snow. He had absolutely no idea how much of it he had concur already, or how much time he was even walking for that matter. It felt like years, taking the overwhelming pain of his body, his joints almost frozen. He couldn’t feel the tip of his fingers and toes or his nose, the cape on his back wasn’t near enough to protect from the cruel wind blowing so strongly he could barely open his eyes. However, one solo thought were permanent in his mind: “you’re too weak. You have to keep going.”  
  
So he did kept going, step after agonizing step, going knee deep in the wide white carpet that seemed to be miles and miles long. The whistle of the wind in his ears was starting to make him dizzy, messing up even more his sense of direction, which he was faintly aware it wasn’t that good. He would never admit it, as he would never admit many things, but he was starting to feel like he was completely lost and if he didn’t find a place to shelter soon, he would be dead.  
  
As he reached a point deeper in the woods, the threes blocking minimally the violent blow of snow, he could open his eyes and look around for a bit. He realized there was no sun coming from nowhere, but it wasn’t completely dark neither. Everything seemed oddly quiet, and through his dizziness, he tried to pay attention to anything that could move.  
  
He’d seen some animals on the way, since walking out of the ship and being immediately attacked by that giant monster thing, and none of them seemed normal. Taking the risk of killing and cooking them seemed dangerous, even though he did it anyway. It left a strange taste in his mouth for days, a headache and an unravelling pain in his stomach that he has yet to get rid of. On the top of things he would never admit, not even under the world worst torture, was that he missed that jerk’s cooking. God, what wouldn’t he give for a warm meal right now…  
  
Something startle him, the sound of broken wood being step over, his hand was immediately on one of his three loyal swords, even if with the movement he felt like he was on the edge to pass out. The noise got closer and closer until it revealed a giant bear, the biggest bear he’d ever seen in his life.  
  
He started to run from it, but it was faster than his feet that felt like jelly, melting away in the snow ground. He fell on his face and the bear’s giant head was all over him, roaring and trying to devouring him.  
  
He blocked the bear with two swords, but the strength of his arms was betraying him, and one of it’s teeth went deep in his left thigh. He didn’t even see blood coming out of it, but the pain was unbearable and he screamed as loud as his throat would allow him and like that, he felt it.  
  
_“Too weak. Too dumb. Too useless”._  
  
Instinct kicked in and an intense flow of strength ran through his body once again. His arms drew together an attack that sent the giant bear head up to the grey sky with a guttural sound of agony and blood splashing everywhere. Panting, he tried going for its legs, a sword in each hand and another between his teeth, but as he started to run, he felt his legs giving in.  
  
_“Too weak. Lazy. Slow”.  
_  
The swords cut deep into the bear’s flesh, and it fell with a dull loud noise to the ground, as Roronoa Zoro came out from the other side of the beast, tasting blood in his tongue, his eyes barely being able to see an inch in from of him. He fell to his knees, his head spinning and suddenly he couldn’t breathe.  
  
_“You’re going to die, you piece of shit”._  
  
Zoro fell face down on the ground and was feeling the wind burying his body in snow fast and for the first time since he could remember, he thought he was scared to die. How could he end like this? In a nameless place such as this shithole? And even if he survived, after all this, after this feeling of misery taking over his every inch, how could he ever face himself again? How could he ever face his captain again? He failed. He failed all of them…  
  
Suddenly, reality caught up to him, and after what he thought was only his imagination, a strangely familiar voice sounded far from his ears:   
  
“Oi, are you okay? Answer me! What the hell are you doing here like that?”  
  
Gloved delicate hands lifted his face from the ground, wet material clinging to his cheeks. He gathered all his will to open his eyes and try to make out the face in from of him and from the soft curve of the light coloured hair against the white background, and that idiotic expression…  
  
“Nami?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, yeah. It wasn't that bad, was it? I really hope not. Please comment and leave some kudos! If you want you can contact me on my tumblr with the same name as my user in here (mydearwhim).  
> I really hope you stick around and that.  
> Thanks for everything ♥


	2. Part 2 - Sanji

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Me again... I'm posting the second chapter because I've written a few already. And I wanted to post them. And I'm just really really really nervous about this cause I'm very cryptic about the things I do and I never think of them as good enough. I guess my biggest fear with all of this is just being completely ignored and no one really reading. So please leave a comment if you're here! Even if it sucks, at least I will know that someone is here.

A little bit of smoke was still lingering in the air from his attack. The wild animal looking a lot like a lion, fallen defeated at his feet. The wind was violent, blowing at his face and for a moment, coming down the mountain a bit, he thought he might fall. He was yet to figure it out what was this place and where everyone had gone, after all there was no time to wonder about anything. As soon as they step out of the ship, arriving totally by accident, a giant squid jumped out of the frozen ocean, making all of them split up into the ice woods. He and Chopper were lucky enough to find shelter with some nice people they found along the way, but he couldn’t help but worry about the others. Now, one solo thought were permanent in his mind: _“I have just the seasoning for this fella.”_

Something suddenly moved behind some threes and from where he was standing he could see it wasn’t small. A wild scream startle him and he thought he knew that voice from somewhere, so he ran as fast as he could towards the moving threes in the hope of being someone familiar. Indeed, there was someone lying on the ground, being slowly cover by the snow in the wind. When a head tried to move up and he could make out a fair amount of some stupid shade of green, he was sure.

“Marimo?” he muttered in shock, running towards the fallen body.

As he approached the swordsman, he tried to talk to him but it was no good. Lifting his head off the cold, Zoro tried to open his eyes, but he was too weak, very cold and maybe on the verge of death.

“Oi, stupid, I’m not Nami. What got into your head coming out in the cold like this, huh?”

When the Straw Hats pirates’ official cook, Sanji, realized that he had probably passed out, he let out a tired sign and lifted his whole heavy body up on his shoulders to carry him back to the shack where him and Chopper where staying.

“You idiot”

Zoro’s body was very cold, which got Sanji more worried that he would ever admit it. What could have happened? Could it be possible that he was even more dumb than Sanji ever believed him to be? If he was alone and in this situation, what happened to the others? Maybe they were not as okay, as him and the doctor thought they were, during all this time. How could Nami-san be? Was she alright? What about Robin-chan? They were so beautiful and fragile and angelic to be out there all alone.

_“If this piece of shit had to be saved, I don’t even want to think about…”_

Then there was again. Something that was making Sanji lose his sleep for weeks. Near the entrance of the shack, coming from deep inside the woods, a female screaming voice, crying out for help. She was screaming a few times a day now, since him and Chopper got here. Where was she? Why Sanji couldn’t get to her? He felt useless and stupid, for failing to protect her, as he failed to protect Nami-san and Robin-chan. He felt guilty now, that he had a nice warm place to shelter, nice warm food whenever he wanted, while all these ladies were probably struggling out there in the cold.

“Waaaaah, who is that, Sanji?” Chopper asked, rumbling about in the kitchen, soon as he walked the door. “Why did you go out again? I told you it was dangerous. Every time you go out I keep thinking that you might not come back or come back even more wounded than the last time.”

He let Zoro’s body fall to the ground with a dull heavy sound. He seemed to be completely frozen, stiff and sore all over.

“Oh, my goodness, it’s Zoro! Where did you find him? He is extremely ill. Put him close to the fire, quick”

Sanji took his legs and dragged him across the small kitchen, hitting his head on one of the chairs, dropping him again on the fluffy carpet near the fireplace.

“Careful, Sanji!”

Chopper arranged all the medicine he could find for Zoro who now didn’t seem to be breathing. He wasn’t going to die. He couldn’t die. It was Zoro, after all. He couldn’t die even if Sanji purposely tried to kill him, which he tried. A few times.

“Get me a towel, please?” Chopper asked, cutting off the thin layer of fabric that was completely frozen against Marimo’s skin. “He is very cold, barely breathing, his heart barely beating… He is crazy, could have died out there.”

Sanji was sitting in the couch with his cigarrete, observing the way Zoro’s face reflected in the light from the fireplace. He started to wonder how life in the ship could be without him. How much they would miss, being without him? He knew he was the first to join Luffy. But what if he hasn’t? What if Sanji was the strongest one, after the captain? He thought he liked the sound of that.

“Sanji, quick, you need to hold him” Chopper’s voice came in, cutting off his daydreams.

“Waa, what?”

“He needs human heat, go on, hug him”

“Are you crazy?” Sanji said, not believing Chopper would asked him such thing. “You hug him”

“I’m busy trying to make him some medicine! Quick Sanji!” Chopper yelled, turning his back on him and disappearing in one of the rooms.

Muttering curse words under his breath and with a widely disgusted face, Sanji lowered his body to the ground getting closer to the idiot’s body.

_“Ugh, it would have been easier to let him freeze to death out there”._

His hands where around his shoulders, bringing his cold as ice back against his chest. He could tell his heart was beating very slowly and weakly, which made him think how long was he even wandering about out there. Without any protection, without any belongings. It was just his usual clothes and his ridiculous swords. What exactly had happened to him? How did they found him now, after looking for so long and coming back with nothing?

After holding him for a few minutes, Sanji started to realize a different feeling was taking over his body. As he felt Zoro’s back against his chest growing warmer, as his nose was just within reach to smell Zoro’s hair, something started to rise, low in his stomach, and he thought he might be feeling something other than disgust towards the swordsman…

_“Could this be…? Oh Yes, it is.”_

It was indeed, as he expected, a new level of distaste and repulse.

He threw up.

“Are you okay? You need something?” Chopper asked, as he came back with a small bow in his hands.

“I’m fine” Sanji answered in a defeated tone, still a little dizzy, standing near the window on the other side of the room.

Wiping his mouth, he lit up another cigarrete.

“Phew! Colour came back to his face, look! He was in real danger there, Sanji. Still can be, if I don’t act quick now. His blood samples showed that his immune system is almost gone. We sure were hoping none of them were dead, but to find one of our crewmembers in this situation… especially Zoro. Apparently, he hasn’t eat or drink anything in weeks.”

With that information, it was as if a siren went off in Sanji’s brain. He took his heavy brown fur coat from the hanger by the door, put on his snow boots, gloves and wool hat and got ready to go out in the cold again.

“Where are you going?” Chopper asked.

“To get something for him to eat when he wakes up”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! You got to the end of another one. What did you think of this one? Can you tell I like Sanji? Haha. Tell me in the comments!


	3. Part 3 - Chopper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Another chapter for ya. I've seen some ghost-readers out there. Don't be shy! Please leave a comment, even if you think it sucks. Enjoy!

The small shack hidden in the woods of this unknown island had a familiar scent now. After weeks with regular meals by Sanji’s precious hands, it almost felt like being back to normal. Sometimes, if he closed his eyes and concentrated enough, it was like being back at Sunny Go, with the soft waves coming and going and the slow swaying through the ocean. The curiosity and excitement for the next island, the next adventure. Except, there was no voices, or laughs in these fantasies. It didn’t matter how much he tried he couldn’t actually hear Usopp’s stories, Nami’s instructions or their captain’s screams. It brought tears to his eyes, and while bandaging Zoro’s wounded leg, one solo thought were permanent in his mind: _“I need to do whatever I can to save him”._

The door opened with a loud jolt and Sanji stepped in once again, carrying a big sack of what he supposed to be their dinner. He got to work in the kitchen while Doctor Tony Tony Chopper continue to take care of their sick first mate.

“I heard that woman screaming for help again.” Sanji said, while chopping some vegetables, his back facing him.

“Was it any different from the other times?”

“No, she was just screaming for help”

“Are you sure you don’t know her voice?” Chopper asked, covering Zoro’s torso with a heavy fur blanket and walking over the table.

“Yes, I am sure”

“Finding Zoro like this, made me think that maybe the others are not as okay as we thought” the Doctor’s eyes were full of concern glancing over the swordsman body.

“Well, we can’t measure the others based on him. Nami-san would never be lost in the woods like that. She’s too smart. While this asshole…”

The kitchen were starting to smell extremely good and Chopper was thankful he could be close to Sanji after what happened, otherwise he could definitely be worse than Zoro now.

“I know you worry about him too” Chopper smiled knowingly at Sanji’s back and he could see the shiver that ran through his body as he turned around, an outrageous expression on his face.

“You’re sniffing too much of this fluids lately, Doctor. You’re starting to lose your senses” Sanji served a delicious looking plate in front of him, with a kind smile.

“Aaaah, thank you”

Chopper was no fool. Even if Sanji tried his best to hide and pretend this didn’t affect him, he knew the true. He was trying his best to keep his cool, but that little vein popping out on his forehead, could indicate that Nami and Robin were not the only ones he worried about. Even so, he decided to push a little further.

“Maybe you’re right…” Chopper said when Sanji turned his back to him again. “But one thing I know. If you really hated him as much as you say you do, you would’ve let him out there to die”

Sanji stopped for a second and seemed to think about what he just heard. For a moment, Chopper thought he crossed a line, until the cook turned again with the same kind smile on his face, arranging some plates full of food in each of his arms, probably made for the unconscious man, lying next to them.

“Luffy would kill me if that happened”

Chopper knew better than to argue with that. Even if he could use the argument of “ _‘Luffy would never find out’_ or _‘God only knows if Luffy is even alive’… NO!”_ He didn’t want to think about that. Couldn’t think about that. If Luffy was dead what would become of them? After all this time, every day searching and finding nothing, no one…

_“Well, at least now we have Zoro.”_

Just as he was starting to be grateful that at least they found one of their friends, he heard a blade being drown out and a wave of fear washed over him. He turned to look for Sanji and saw that Zoro had woken up and had one of his swords at Sanji’s throat, holding one of his wrists.

“You!” Zoro said, surprised, releasing his grip and lowering his blade.

“Idiot! What do you think you’re doing?!” Sanji started to yell.

Zoro yelled back at him and an argument rose between them, this time making it very possible for Chopper to close his eyes and imagine being back at their usual life. It was comforting in a way and he allowed himself to relax for a while. That was until he heard Sanji’s fist going straight at Zoro’s head.

“You stupid Marimo!” Zoro’s hands were over his head trying to protect himself.

“Sanji, stop! His wounds!” Chopper yelled at them, which made them turn to him, Zoro seeming to acknowledge Chopper’s presence for the first time as well as the table of food in front of him.

He went for the big plate of meat first, devouring it like he was eating for the very first time in his life. Which, based on his exams, it could be not very far from his actual state.

“What happened to you? You look like you took a severe beating.” Sanji asked blowing out his smoke.

“Huh? The squid swallowed me. Decided to spend a while inside of it until I killed it.” Zoro answered with a mouthful.

“Oh, is that so?”

Chopper was horrified. How could they talk about all that in such a natural tone, as if discussing a shopping list or something? He was grateful to be around strong people, but they were scary as hell.

“Do you have any news of Luffy and the others?”

“No, I haven’t seen anyone.” Zoro answered. His mouth even more full than before. “I’m not sure, but I think I heard Franky’s voice in the woods one night”

Chopper thought about the woman screaming, if maybe they could be in any way connected. But since himself didn’t hear anything, he thought it was best leave it to Sanji to talk about it, if he wanted.

“How long have you been starving? You’re gonna eat all we have” Sanji had a disgusted expression watching Zoro.

“I don’t know, since we got out the ship, maybe”

“Eeeeeh???” Chopper and Sanji exclaimed at the same time, completely in shock.

“You haven’t eat anything for a whole month?” Sanji’s voice was a weird mix of worry and admiration, he was trying his best not to let it show.

“More and less, tried eating some animals and…” Zoro’s face suddenly changed to realization as he stopped chewing, looking at the meat in his hands. “Ugh! They’re poisoned!”

“You think I’m stupid? I cleaned them. Boiling them at certain temperature and with the right seasoning, I was able to draw the poison out of the meat”

“Sanji is so awesome!” Chopper whispered to himself.

“Hmm, that explains a lot. I tried to eat a monkey looking thing when I got out of the squid and my stomach got weird…”

“Waaa! That’s why there were traits of the poison in your blood!” Chopper was exasperate at how Zoro could survive all that.

_“Zoro is scary”._

“What the hell is this poison anyway?”

“We don’t really know where it comes from” Chopper started to explain, composing himself. “After we were attacked and split up, Sanji and I tried going through the woods and we were attacked by all kind of giant animal, just like that squid. We had no choice but to climb the mountain”

“We found this shack of a family of three. The mother, father and a kid. They sheltered us.” Sanji said.

“Yes, and they explained that ten years ago this poison started out of nowhere, infecting the animals and developing a decease, killing a lot of people in the village. The doctor of the main city tried for a very long time to find some kind of antidote, but couldn’t. Now I understand why. I’ve been trying all this time with no success…”

“Well, let’s try and find this doctor, maybe if you work together…” Zoro took the water bottle to his lips, drinking furiously. 

“He was murdered.” Sanji let out smoke. “The family said it was quite the scandal in the whole island when their only doctor died by the hands of a farmer.”

“A farmer?” Zoro asked, confused.

“They didn’t seem to like talking about it much.”

“Where are they now?”

As they stepped outside, the heavy fur blanket around Zoro’s shoulders, the wind seemed to be a little less brutal. Chopper saw Sanji looking out at the forest and wondered what was going on in his head, if he was thinking of going in there again. He looked up to the sky and there was absolutely no stars. Even the moon couldn’t be seen and everything just seemed cruelly quiet.

Zoro seemed thoughtful in front of the small graves Sanji made for them. Chopper started to think what might have gone through his head while out there alone, not knowing where everyone was. Did he even feared losing any of them? What would he do if one of them end up in a grave like that?

“I did my best to save them, but the disease was already too advanced when we arrived. First took the child, then the mother and the father. They died within a week of being infected. It is an actual miracle you being alive, Zoro.” Chopper said, sounding sad.

Startling the three of them, a wild scream came from between the threes and Chopper could finally hear it, as clear as day. It wasn’t all in Sanji’s head after all. There it was a woman crying out for help.

“I heard that coming up the mountain.” Zoro said, also looking out to the woods.

“Did you see her?” Sanji asked, worried.

“No”

“Every day I went out to try and find someone. Anyone. Every time I tried to follow that voice, I met a giant beast, with horns thicker than the threes and faster than any of us could be in this snow. I never seen anything like it. Never let me pass.” Sanji finally explained what Chopper had been asking him all this time. 

“You’re just too weak.” Zoro said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Stupid asshole, who was dying out here not a few hours ago??” Sanji screaming enraged, kicking Zoro’s head and making him pass out again. 

“Sanji, his wounds!”


End file.
